Micro$oft opens up Window$ Software company Microsoft has agreed to help its competitors access information about Windows as part of an anti-trust settlement with the United States Government. Microsoft will make it cheaper and easier for other software companies to access key pieces of computer code that their software needs to work well with Windows. The announcement comes after months of negotiations between Microsoft and the US Justice Department, which is overseeing an anti-trust settlement involving Microsoft. That followed a long-running case in which Microsoft was found guilty of abusing its monopoly in personal computer operating systems. As part of the settlement, Microsoft agreed to make it cheaper and easier for rivals to license key parts of its operating system. Substantial revision "These changes are designed to make it easier for companies to license our technology," said Brad Smith, Microsoft's senior vice president for law and corporate affairs. The changes could be helpful to companies such as Sun Microsystems that are battling Microsoft in the market for software that runs servers, the powerful machines that manage computer networks. The Justice Department said the changes would "substantially" revise the licensing terms for the Microsoft software. Earlier this month, Microsoft also agreed to make changes requested by the government to its Windows operating system as part of the anti-trust settlement. That will make it easier for consumers to use software from rival companies to browse Web pages, listen to music and send instant messages. Source: BBCi
IMHO it's the kernel that shouldn't be off-limits. I probably won't see the day that happens.. regards, paul
I agree Paul. M$ continues to throw out peanuts to pacify their critics and the justice department. I have a feeling they are only doing this as they are planning on abondoning Windows some time after Longhorn comes out. Since Longhorn does not use Windows technology, they have nothing to lose.
You're 100% right, M$ will never do such a thing, the chance you and I will be millardair is 10000000000% bigger......
Hi guys, I completely agree to the above mentioned. Microshit will just open some minor parts of their system to the "public". Certainly not the part about security, encryption,... Some time ago, some researchers found out, that the encryption of Windows uses two keys and one is definitely belonging to the NSA... Wonder what they are doing with it. Nevertheless Microshit has given some countries insight in its Kernel. Latest example is China -otherwise they would never ever buy Windows. Til now they were using Linux. You see, even Microsoft won't let it happen that such a huge market slips away from them. Best regards, Patrice
